A series was placed in the Pacific theatre of World War II (in the show's previous year a setting was switched to Italy) and was depending in a area of the crew of PT-73, led by Lt Commander Quinton McHale (Ernest Borgnine). McHale's 2nd-within-command was Ensign Charlie Parker (Tim Conway) and his commander was Captain Wallace "Leadbottom" Binghamton (Joe Flynn).

A original cast appeared around 2 feature film versions of the series; ''McHale's Navy (1964) & McHale's Navy Joins a Air Inflict'' (1965). The 1997 remaking featured Tom Arnold, Dean Stockwell, Debra Messing, David Alan Grier, Tim Curry, and Ernest Borgnine (okay, appearing when Admiral Rodgers).